Definition Of "Stamp Varieties" Or "Stamp Variety"

While I am clear on what errors are & the types of errors that exist,
I have not been able to find a definition of what a variety is. I only have a catalogue's listing of varieties. I have read the notes on Printing varieties in the SG Part 1.
1)Would be glad to have members' definition(s) please.
2)Are modern varieties only listed in specialized catalogues?
3)"Varieties these days are more in the nature of flaws.." Could someone
explain this to me please?
Thanks in advance from a beginner collector!

Australia for one, has a privately produced
"modern varieties compendium" of all australian stamps
to present.

I'll take a stab under the umbrella of there is no right answer. The errors and varieties listed in all the major catalogs are ones that generally can be traced to a certain reason for the flaw. This can be a plate scratch an ommision or addition of color where not intended and many others as you can read in catalogs. Then there is the many many other varieties that for whatever reason don't make the books. That is not to say those varieties are any less important or rare just not enough pages to cover them all. More and more I see discoveries even on this board that can not be explained and are not listed. Can be as much as a minute drop of ink that may have only hit a single stamp . You may never see it listed but the fact is its there and its a variety. Another term widely used to group the unlisted is errors freaks and oddities (efo's for short) This group pretty well fits in all that doesn't hit the catalogs. Chances of finding a $1000 variety probably not very likely but finding varieties in general happens all the time and is really the thrill of the hunt . Whn you do find something out of the norm even its dismissed as no big deal its always good put small note with stamp. May not be a cataloged item ever or could be listed 10-20 yrs from now.

"VARIETY" to a stamp collector or philatelist means any stamp that differs from every other stamp because of its characteristics imparted by the method and process of printing .
There are two types of varieties and they are vastly different to most collectors there is a "constant varieties and "inconstant varieties" .The difference is a constant variety is one that occurs on every stamp printed from the particular position on the printing base that cause this and from sheet to sheet that place shows the variety .
The inconstant variety is one that occurs because of some temporary circumstance affecting only the particular stamp or sheet of stamps,such as something falling on to the plate during printing or the the plate was not cleaned correctly during press run .
Constant plate flaws will show up in speciality catalogs with a price while inconstant varities are interesting and fun to collect ,very few collectors will pay much for them .

Thanks for all your help! much appreciated

In my mind I have categorized variety versus error as sort of a two-step deduction process. First deduction step - if the difference is intentional, then it is a variety whereas if the difference is unintentional, then it is an error. Second step - if the quantity of stamps printed was substantial, then it moves from being an error to a variety. This works for me, but of course there are exceptions and gray areas. For example, the U.S. Dag Hammarskjöld invert. I would consider the first printing as an error. When the error was made public, the PO purposely printed more of the "error" to avoid having a rarity. I would consider these reprints as a variety. You can read more about that issue at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dag_Ha...%B6ld_invert

I consider Variety as Differences from the declared Official Specifications of Stamp Issued Officially.
I full heatedly agree with ncbuckeye.
May it be single or multiple specifications . All others goes into EFOs Major, Minor.
It is possible Catalog Company may recognized it in Listing or not its immaterial.
Item is there its there.

tikithindi

I'm not sure that 'variety' is such a helpful word. I agree that it describes any variation from the standard, but I think it's more helpful to talk of 'errors' amd 'flaws'.

Both this



(Imperf vertically) and this



(Coloured flaw to the Maharajah's mouth on the left-hand stamp)

and proving that the flaw is constant:



are 'varieties'. The first is an 'error'; the second is a 'flaw'.

Great explanations!
I think I am getting it now

Which of these would be a variety and which would not?

1. A deliberate change in watermark with a normal run (say 2 million stamps) of both watermarks.

2. An accidental change in watermark with a small run (say 200 stamps) of one of the watermarks.

3. Repairs made to the printing plate resulting in thicker lines on some stamps.

Note that with #1 the stamps usually appear as different stamps in catalogues.

By the way, great question, carebear, thanks for asking about it. Great replies too.

For my money, only 2. 1 and 3 are variations but not 'varieties'.